At first glance, Lost Soul Aside looks like a Final Fantasy game, and it's a perfectly reasonable initial estimation. On the surface, it does have the same visual style that defines almost every modern Final Fantasy game, especially from Final Fantasy 13 on. However, at the end of the day, Lost Soul Aside is far from a Final Fantasy game, and could actually be considered the furthest thing from it. There are very few real similarities between it and Square Enix's beloved franchise, likening itself more to games like Devil May Cry instead.
That's not necessarily a good thing either. With the exception of some performance issues that Ultizero Games has been ironing out from Lost Soul Aside since its launch, the game's many other issues are present within its DNA and are therefore not capable of being fixed. If it had gone the route of fully embracing what makes Final Fantasy special, though, it might have been able to avoid those problems. In fact, there's enough reason to suggest Lost Soul Aside may have been better as a shameless Final Fantasy copycat, even with the criticism that likely would have come with it.
Lost Soul Aside Might Have Been Better as a Final Fantasy Copycat
Lost Soul Aside's Final Fantasy-Inspired Visuals Paid Off
On the one hand, Lost Soul Aside's Final Fantasy-inspired visuals did pay off, as they help give the game a sense of style it might have lacked otherwise. Despite not being a Final Fantasy game at its core, it looks like one, and that makes all the difference. While Final Fantasy has long been known for far more than its visuals, its modern era has inspired countless other titles to follow suit when it comes to their own style. The franchise's blend of sci-fi and fantasy has become a sought-after characteristic of the JRPG genre, to the point that games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 have no shame in calling back to Final Fantasy as an influence.
In essence, Lost Soul Aside's style is one of its greatest strengths, and that is no doubt due to the source of its inspiration. Even Kaser, the game's protagonist, looks like Final Fantasy 15's Noctis Lucis Caelum and Final Fantasy 16's Clive Rosfield had a baby, and there's nothing wrong with that at all. However, all that Final Fantasy-inspired style just serves to be a sort of deceptive mask that lays over the truth about Lost Soul Aside: that it actually seems to have set its soul aside in exchange for a stellar wardrobe. In short, it's not a Final Fantasy game at all.
Lost Soul Aside Could Have Benefited From Final Fantasy's Character Development
What's really missing in Lost Soul Aside is some extensive, meaningful character development, but specifically, the kind that one would find in a Final Fantasy game. Most entries in the Final Fantasy franchise have good to great combat and exploration, but their lasting appeal is in their emotionally charged narratives and memorable character arcs — both characteristics that Lost Soul Aside sorely lacks. It's rather difficult to care about any character in Lost Soul Aside, even with the premise revolving around its protagonist and his efforts to save his sister.
Perhaps this is because Lost Soul Aside just feels a bit rushed, almost to the point that it regularly interrupts itself and barely offers a moment to breathe. But there's no denying that even when playing the game in its native language, its cast still seems to lack the passion that so often clearly drives the development of Final Fantasy's most iconic characters. Lost Soul Aside may look like a Final Fantasy game, but it's far from it. And for once in the industry, maybe it would have been better for this game to actually copy the heart of the very franchise it imitates on the surface and then shamelessly admit to it.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 63 /100 Critics Rec: 21%
- Released
- August 29, 2025
- ESRB
- Rating Pending
- Developer(s)
- Ultizero Games
- Publisher(s)
- PlayStation Studios
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Adventure, JRPG
